Uzbekistan - Tajikistan itinerary | Uzbekistan - Lonely Planet Forum

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Sun, 04 Jul 2010 22:09:18 +0000

Hi
I am planning to spend 2.5 weeks travelling in Uzbekistan this coming October, but the more I read about Tajikistan, the more tempted I am to include it in my itinerary..
I will be flying in and out of Tashkent, and would prefer not to take internal flights if at all possible. I don't mind long bus journeys and never get tired when I travel :-) so neither is a deterrent for me!
Would like to see the usual cities of Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva, and perhaps slip in 5 days trekking in Fann Mountains (not necessarily inthis order). I understand you can get to Fann from Samarkand, does anyone have any experience in doing so? and from Fann, is it possible to go to Dushanbe?

This is what I had in mind..

Tashkent - Samarkand
Samarkand - Bukhra
Bukhara - Khiva
backtrack to Samarkand
cross into Tajikistan -
Fann mountains
Dushanbe
Dushanbe-Tashkent

All by public transport..
Thoughts?

I feel attracted to Tajikistanand would like to include it, at the same time I feel I am doing neither justice..
Would you recommend any other places inUzbekistan? My original plan was to travel further north to lake Aral..
I am into remote, off the beaten track, adventurous destinations so if I can find that in Uzbekistan, I will save Tajikistan and Pamir for another time..

Thanks!!
Sabrina

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Mon, 05 Jul 2010 13:31:19 +0000

Samarkand to Penjikent is very easy - small buses leave Samarkand for the border frequently but NOT now from where LP says. Ask your guest house for new details. In Pejikent the Nematov Niyazkul Guesh House (which is now called Elina Homestay) will help with trekking - at a price.

2.5 weeks for all you say does sound a bit of a rush, but I'm getting old and like to take things slowly!

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Mon, 05 Jul 2010 20:30:54 +0000

cool - thanks for your feedback
And it appears there are shared taxis from penjikent to Dushanbe.
Do you know if there's a bus connecting Dushanbe and Tashkent?
cheers

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Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:56:02 +0000

if there's a bus connecting Dushanbe and Tashkent?

Dushanbe - Khojand - Tashkent

The Sogdian site of Bunjikat and Istaravshan on the way seem interesting.

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Tue, 06 Jul 2010 18:03:09 +0000

You should not have too many problems with public transport. I used trains Bukhara to Samarkand and S'k to Tashkent.
There is no rail station in Khiva but plenty of buses, they will advise you at the Tourist Info Centre in Khiva.

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Mon, 26 Jul 2010 22:03:07 +0000

hi,

Useful info about Uzbekistan:

Uzbekistan is a relatively cheap country to travel in, comparable to Turkmenistan or Iran except for slightly pricier hotels. You may spend more here than in neighbouring countries simply because the chore of registering forces you to spend at least every third night in a hotel to avoid a fine when you leave the country. The beers are also very tempting! Our daily average for a couple worked out to about €20 U.S. a day using a mix of wild camping, couchsurfing and budget to mid-range hotels. We cooked our own meals when cycling and mostly ate in cafes in the cities.

Many travellers stop in the capital Tashkent to pick up more Central Asian visas.
http://www.uzbekistanvisa.ucoz.com/ - Visas and LOI to Uzbekistan

Accommodation:

Antica: Family B&BSamarkand has limited number of good B&B or budget places (in comparison to Bukhara). Antica's owner is nice, prices are OK, breakfasts are wealthy, a very good location and beautiful garden are main pros of this place

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